C971.ll 

A82h 

C.2 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032761155 


This  book  must  not 
be  token  from  the 
Library  building. 


Ihii   liiLl:  h^i  BLLN  iVilCf:QFiLM£D 


Form  No.  471 


attttfs 


^^-'^TT^Ar  SOUTH. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


The  piirjiose  of  this  liltlo  paiu[>lilet  is  to  prrscnt 
to  the  reader  tlie  advantages,  resources  and  i»)ssiljill- 
ties,  together  will)  the  attiaetions,  llie  inoiintairious 
section  of  Norili  Carolina  offers  to  immigrants,  capi- 
talists, nianiifaeturers,  invalids,  toiuists  and  others. 
THE  Old  Ncmxii  State  Yestf.kdw, 

TO-D.^Y  AXn  FOREVr.K. 

H.  A.  H. 

ASHEVILLE.   N.   C, 

MAKCH  4,   18W6. 


w 


ASHEVILLE,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


A  SUMMER  RESORT  AND  WINTER  SANITARIUM  OF  PECUL- 
IAR ADVANTAGES— REST,  QUIET  AND  REPOSE  IN 
MOUNTAINS  fi.OOO  FEET  HIGH— POETRY.  MUSIC  AND 
SONG  ALONG  THE  RIPPLING  SWANNANOA— NATURE'S 
TRUNDLE-BED   OF  RECUPERATION. 


HISTORICAL 

NOTES. 

F  THE  earli- 
I  est  traditional 
[knowledge  of 
the  mountain- 
ous section,  or 
tlie  Soutliern 
Highlands  of 
North  Carolina, 
it  may  be  said 
that  it  has  been 
handed  down  by 
the  Cherokee 
Indians,  as  stat- 
ed by  Col.  Thomas  several  years  ago  in  an  interview  while 
acting  as  Chief  of  the  Cherokee  tribe.  Long  before  the 
Cherokees  came  to  the  Southern  Highlands  the  country 
was  inhabited  by  a  people  known  as  the  moon-eyed  race, 


who  were  unable  to  see  during  certaJn  plinsps  of  the  moon. 
The  Creek  Indians  Inhabited  this  soctlon  before  the 
Cherokoes,  took  advantage  of  these  moon-eyed  people, 
and  during  their  period  of  blindness  killed  them  out- 
right. The  Cherokees  afterward  conquered  the  Creeks, 
nearly  annihilating  the  whole  tribe. 

lu  1729  the  Lords  Proprietors  sold  to  the  king  for 
$45,000  their  whole  right  and  title  In  North  Carolina, 
which  then  lay  between  the  parallels  of  31  and  :«>  degrees 
north  latitude,  and  extended  from  the  Atlantic  ocean 
westward  to  the  South  sea.  In  1719,  twenty  years  there- 
after, emigrants  from  the  west  of  Scotland  flocked  to 
the  Cape  Fear  region,  and  one  year  later  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  Upper  Yadkin  was  begun  by  the  Scotch- 
Irish.  One  among  the  early  settlers  on  this  water-course 
was  Daniel  Boone,  who  In  1754  chased  the  bear  on  Benr 
creek,  a  small  tributary  of  the  South  Yadkin,  near 
Mocksville,  N.  C.  Several  years  later  there  came  an- 
other class  of  immigrants  to  the  SUate,  known  as  the 
Pennsylvania  Dutch,  who  also  largely  settled  along  the 
banks  of  the  Yadkin,  and  gradually  diffused  themselves 
among  the  valleys  of  the  Cataw1)a  and  Yadkin. 

After  the  Revolution  Immigration  to  the  mountains 
became  very  large.  In  the  year  1795,  says  Wheeler  the 
historian,  the  first  wagon  passed  from  North  Carolina  to 
Tennessee  by  the  way  of  Warm  Springs,  and  from  this 
time  forward  this  beautiful,  wild  and  picturesque  sec- 
tion began  to  fill  up.  On  the  French  Broad  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Swannanoa  the  first  white  child  was  born,  on  the 
inter-montane  plateau,  and  the  name  of  the  child  was 
James  M.  Smith. 

SOME  OF  THE  EABLY  SETTliERS. 
"O  bappy  days  of  iLnocence  and  ease, 
Blest  with  each  charm,  where  every  charm  conld  please." 

Daniel  Smith,  who  settled  at  the  mouth  of  thn  Swan- 
nanoa In  17S5,  was  one  of  the  first  white  men  to  press 

4 


the  soil  of  the  present  limits  of  Buncombe  county.    He 
maintained  a  warfare,  generally  single-handed,  against 


MAIN  STREET,   ASHEVILLE. 

the  Cherokee  Indians  for  many  years,  and  it  is  said  that 
over  one  hundred  bit  the  dust  from  his  old  Hint  rifle. 

John  Patton,  the  father  of  Montravelle  Patton,  set- 
tled here  in  1790,  and  made  his  first  clearing  on  the 
Swannanoa,  near  "Patton's  Mills."  He  was  the  first 
county  surveyor  of  Buncombe,  and  held  the  position  for 
many  years  with  great  fidelity  and  trust. 

5 


Sarauol  W.  Davidson,  a  man  of  most  noble  parts,  re- 
moved from  Morgauton  to  the  Swannanoa  In  17Ht5.  lie 
was  a  man  noted  for  his  Rreat  lll.erallty  and  broad 
views  nis  descendants  are  men  of  note  in  the  Sutte. 
James  Patton  came  from  Ireland  to  this  country  in 
1783,  first  settling  in  Virginia.  He  came  to  Bunrombe 
county  In  17"J2.  He  purchased  from  James  M.  Smith  for 
a  small  sum  the  present  site  of  Asheville. 

Zobulon  Balrd,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Cen.  11. 
B  and  Senator  Z.  B.  Vance,  came  to  this  county  In  17'J5 
from  Georgia  In  a  four-wheeled  wagon  across  the  moun- 
tains Mr.  Baird  built  the  first  storehouse  and  court- 
house as  well  as  jail  on  the  present  site  of  Asheville. 
He  was  an  Industrious  and  progressive  man  in  those 
days,  and  represented  this  county  In  both  branches  of 
the  State  Legislature. 

Col.  David  Vance,  grandfather  of  Gen.  R.  B.  and  Sena- 
tor Vance,  came  to  this  county  from  Virginia,  settling 
on  Keen's  creek.  He  was  a  bravo  soldier  and  a  man  of 
dauntless  courage.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle 
of  King's  Mountain.  October  7,  1780. 

David  L.  Swain  was  born  in  Buncombe  county  in  1801. 
By  the  exercise  of  native  talent  he  afterward  became 
Governor  of  the  State,  closing  his  remarkable  career  as 
President  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina. 

There  are  the  Alexanders,  Weavers,  Whltsons,  Chums. 
Brevards  and  others,  whose  illustrious  deeds  and  courage 
have  made  this  county  rich  In  personal  narrative,  but 
space  forbids  the  further  mention  of  their  names  or 
doings. 

THE  METBOPOIilS  OF  THE  LAND  OF  THE  SKY. 

Asheville  as  far  back  as  1812  was  a  trading  post, 
where  the  palefaces  and  the  red  men  would  oftentimes 
assemble  to  trade  and  barter  and  pass  their  leisure 
hours  by  throwing  quoits  for  bear  skins  and  whisky. 
Twenty-one  years  thereafter  the  place  was  incorporated, 


PINEWALD— GEOUNDS  OF  GEOBGE   W.   PACK. 

and  for  years  was  known  as  Morristown.  This  name 
however,  was  afterward  dropped,  and  the  spot  became 
known  as  Asheville,  having  been  named  in  compliment 
to  Samuel  Ashe,  of  New  Hanover. 

7 


AshevlUe  is  tho  capital  of  Westeru  North   Carolina 
and  the  county  seat  of  Bunconib*^.   which   county  was 
formed  in  17'Jl  from  Burlce  and  Randolph,  lying  immo- 
1    diately  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  center  of  the/ 

transmontane  section,   occupying  a    beautltul    rolling 
^    e<.unlry  down  the  Swannanoa  and  French  Broad  rivers, 
whirh  streams  water  it  freely,  and  along  the  valleys  of 
which  are  found  thousands  of  acres  of  very  rich  lands. 
Asheville,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Alleghany  mountains. 
situate.l  at  Lhe  conlluence  of  the  Swannanoa  and   the 
French  Broad  rivers,  among  the  foot-hills  of  the  Blacli 
mountain  range,  thirteen  peaks  of  which  pierce  the  clouds 
1    at  an  altitude  above  that  of  Mount  Washington,  is  pre-   '■ 
'    eminently  a  resort  intended  by  Nature  tor  the  invalid 
and  tourist.    Placed  at  an  elevation  of  2,339  feet  above 
thf^  sea.  in  a  charming  valley,  with  a  genial,  soft,  yet 
bracing  climate,  in  the  midst  of  enchanting  soenery.  this 
town  has  always  been  a  place  of  great  resort  in  summer 
as  well  as  in  winter,  and  must  become  more  so  when  Its 
many  charms  become  better  known.     It  has  four  or  five 
hotels  and  numerous  boarding-houses,  at  which  pleas- 
ant lodgings  and  surroundings  may  be  found.    By  day. 
in  the  season,  the  streets  of  the  town  are  crowded  with 
private  equipages,  parties  on  horseback  and  in  buggies, 
enjoying  excursions  in  the  beautiful  vicinity  or  going 
on  to  other  resorts.    At  night  the  hotels  are  gay  with 
music  and  dancing,  and  all  goes  "  merry  as  a  marriage 
bell  "    The  town  has  several  fine  churches  and  well- 
organized  schools.    The  citizens  are  cordial  and  hospi- 
table, at  all  times  ready  to  oblige  strangers  and  assist 
them  in  their  plans. 

This  town  had  so  long  been  the  resort  of  persons  from 
the  low  country,  before  the  war.  that  many  of  the 
wealthier  class  built  themselves  summer-houses  here, 
whither  they  come  each  year.  Many  of  these  residences 
are  elegant,  with  neat  lawns  aiid  pretty  shrubbeiy,  and 


nearly  all  embowered  in  fine  shade  trees  of  the  natural 
growth,  or  of  the  fine  evergreens  transplanted  from  the 
higher  lands.  The  court-house  is  a  large  building  with 
a  high  tower— quite  a  striking  object  in  the  midst  of  the 


^*t^fi 


^ 


*a 


PATTON  AVENUE,  FROM  COURT  HOUSE,  ASHEVILLE. 

town.  There  is  here  also  a  college  and  a  male  academy, 
with  excellent  and  commodious  buildings  and  fine 
grounds.  All  these  give  a  very  impressive  and  charm- 
inig  aspect  to  this  mountain  town,  especially  when  seen 
from  any  of  the  noble  eminences  which  surround  it  to- 
il 


ward  tlie  northwest.    The  climate  In  buniraer  is  Blmply 
delicious,  while  in  winter  It  is  invigorating  and  health- 
giving.    It  is  highly  recommended  as  a  place  of  resort  for 
consumptives,  many  of  whom  have  been  entirely  cured  in 
the  lirst  stages  of  the  disease  by  a  residence  In  this  place. 
The  streets  are  being  macadamized,  while  water- works, 
'erected  to  supply  fresh  water  from  a  cluster  of  springs 
on  the  mountains  overhanging,  and  other  useful  improve- 
ments, are  being  added  in  every  direction.     Thousands 
of  people  resort  to  this  place  every  summer,  seeking 
health  and  pleasure  and  rest,  and  from  April  to  Novem- 
ber the  hotels,  boarding-houses  and   private  residences 
are  crowded  with  visitors ;  costly  equipages  go  rattling 
over  the  streets ;  splendid  horses  prance  along  the  ave- 
nues,  bearing  beauty  and    chivalry,   wealth  and  joy, 
poetry  and  song,  to  the  numerous  romantic  retreats, 
mountain  views  and  gushing  springs  which  abound  in 
this  lovely  region.      Everj-body  is  gay  in  this  joyous 
season,  and  Nature  rejoices  with  her  admirers.     Nothing 
can  excel  the  brilliant  flowers  of  the  mountains.    First, 
the    graceful  azaleas,    bending    under    their    load    of 
red  and  yellow  lily-like  blooms ;  then  the  pink  clusters 
of  the  ivy,  on  their  dark  evergreen  foliage  for  a  back- 
ground, succeeded  by  the  crowning  glory  of  the  season, 
the  rich,   waxy  clusters,   pink  and  white,  of  the  royal 
rhododendron.    There  are  great  jungles  of  this  hardy 
evergreen,  with  its  large,  glossy  green  leaves,  matted 
in  their  luxuriance  along  every  stream,  and  in  July  it 
breaks  out  with   large  bunches   of    flowers,   made  up 
of   innumerable   small    blooms  coming  out   from  one 
foot-stalk,  the  whole  making  a  most  gorgeous  and  brill- 
iant display.      No  other  summer  resort  in  the  country 
J  possesses   so  many    attractions    as    this    place.    The 
'   tourist    or    health-seeker    may    gratify  his    fondness 
for  hunting  and  fishing  in  the  woods  and  streams.     He 
will  find  the  country  rich  in  fauna,  lloia  and  minerals. 

10 


He  can  lake  pleasaut  walks  or  rides  and  drives  in  every 
direction  to  .points  of  special  interest,  as  follows  :  Bat- 
tery Porter,  Beaumont,  Femihurst,  Tahkeeoskee  Farm, 
Eichmond  Hill,  Elk  Moimtain,  Tenuant's  View,  Straw- 
berry Hill,  French  Broad  River,  Swannanoa  Kivor, 
Chalybeate  Springs,  Yellow  Sulphur  Springs,  White 
Sulphur  Springs,  Arden  Park,  Hickory  Nut  Falls,  Bald 
Mountain  (of  volcanic  notoriety).  Cave  of  the  Winds, 
Pools,  Chimney  Eock,  etc.,  Pisgah  Mountain  (altitude, 
5,757  feet).  Mount  Mitchell  (^altitude,  6,717  feet).  He 
will  luxuriate  in  a  climate  which  for  pleasantness  com- 
pares favorably  with  that  of  the  cities  of  Southern  Eu- 
rope, as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  table : 

THE    CLIMATE    OF    ASHEVILLE     COMPAEED     TO    FAMOUS 
ECKOPEAN   EESOKTS. 

Spring.    Summer.    Autuvm.     Winter.     Year. 

Aslieville 54.3 

Geneva 52.2 

Turin 53  7 

VieDDa 66  2 

Milan 54  9 

BAINFAljIi   AT   ASHEVILLE. 

Spring    10  1  in,  I  Autumn    7.1  in. 

Sanioier   13  5  in.  I  Winter 9.5  in. 

Total 40  2  in. 

This  climate  is  so  invigorating  and  the  air  so  pure 
that  a  residence  here  of  a  few  months  will  rid  the  sys- 
tem of  malaria,  and  some  cases  of  pronounced  dyspep- 
sia have  been  cured  by  its  effect.  Its  advantages  in 
pulmonary  and  throat  affections  are  attested  by  scores 
who  have  sojourned  here,  and  are  well  known  to  prom- 
inent physicians  of  the  country,  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned  Dr.  Albert  L.  Loomis,  of  New  York  City; 
Dr.  G.  C.  E.  Weber,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  Dr.  Charles 
Kearns,  of  Covington,  Ky.,  and  Dr.  Henry  O.  Marcy,  of 
Boston,  Mass. 

11 


71.3 

55.3 

■^7.2 

55.3 

70  3 

54  2 

34.0 

52.7 

71.5 

53  8 

33.5 

53  1 

71.8 

54  6 

38.7 

55.3 

72.8 

55.9 

36  1 

54  9 

CMItM;0<i) 


HOW  TO   GET  TO   ASHEVILIiE. 

From  New  York— Leave  Pennsylvania  d«pot  at  4  v.  M. 
(via  Virginia  Midland),  through  to  Ashevillo  in  Tullman 
coaches,  In  twenty-six  hours. 

From  Cincinnati— Leave  at  8.10  p.  M.,  via  Loui.sviiio 
and  Nashville  Rjillroad  or  Cincinnati  Southern,  reaching 
Ashevlllc,  in  Pullman  coaches,  in  twenty-one  hours. 

Through  cars  from  Louisville,  Ky.,  to  Asheville; 
close  connections  at  Louisville  with  all  trains  from  Cin- 
cinnati, Indianapolis  and  Chicago. 


j^sHEvnXB 
n.  c> 


From  Florida,  Charleston  and  theSouthea.st  the  route 
is  via  Charleston  and  Salisbury,  also  via  Columbia, 
Spartanburg  and  Hendersonvilie. 

From  New  Orleans  and  the  Southwest  the  trip  is  made 
via  Knoxville  and  Morrlstown,  Tenn.,  and  the  Warm 
Springs  direct  to  Asheville,  or  by  Atlanta,  Spartanburg 
and  Hendersonvilie. 

Those  cominc  South  via  the  Shenandoah  Valley  Route 
reach  Asheville  via  Morrlstown,  Tenn.,  and  Warm 
Springs. 

12 


TABIiE    OF    ESTIMATED   RATES  OP   PAEE,     DISTANCE  AND 

TIME    IN    TRANSIT    BETWEEN    ASHEVII^LE, 

N.    C,   AND  POINIS  NAMED. 


t-: 


To  Ash  evil  le/inm 

Fnrf. 

Uistanci; 

/in-. 

J  oute. 

New  York 

$23  55 
21  65 

21  65 

17  20 
14  15 
14  15 

13  25 

22  45 
22  45 
20  20 

14  00 

10  70 
l;{  30 
26  r,o 

17  05 

12  25 

12  40 
12  75 

756 

646 

646 

519 
431 

386 

758 

617 

437 

262 
3H3 
915 

712 

553 

400 
427 

26 
31 

•  ■ 

25 
24 

24 

28 

24 

18 

13 
16 
45 

34 

24 

19 
24 

Pa  B  R   Va  Mid    and 

JaclcBODville 

Jacksonville 

R.  &  D. 
S.  F.   k   W.,  B.   &  W.. 

Cent.  Ga.,  and  R.&D. 
S.  F    k  W.,   Cent.  04., 

and  R.  and  D. 

S.  C.  Ry.,  and  R.  &  D. 

Cuarleston 

Augusta 

R.  k   D.   or  Cent.  Ga  , 

New  Orleans 

New  Orleans 

Mobile 

and  R.  k.  D. 
L.  &   N.,  \V.  Ala.    A.  & 

W.  P.,  and  R.  &  D. 
Q.k  C  ,   Ga    Pac,  and 

R.  &  D. 
li.  &  N.    W.  Ala.   A  & 

Montgomery 

Atlanta 

W.  P.,  and  R.  &  D 
L.  &   N..W.  Ala.,  A   & 

W.  P.,  and  R.  &  D. 
R.  &  D 

R.  &  D. 

Hot  Springs,  Ark... 

St.  L,  I.M.  &8o.  M.  k 
L.  R.,  N.  C   &  St.   L.. 
W.  &  A.,  and  R.  k  D. 

L   &  N    N   C    &  St    L 

Nashville 

W.  .^  A.,  and  R.  &  D. 
N.  C   &  St.  L.   W.  &  A. 

and  R.  &  D. 
E  T    Va   &  Ga 

T.,  Va.    &   Ga..  and 
W.  N.  C. 

Explanation.— Pa.  R.  R.  Pennsylvania  Riilroad;  Va.  Mid.,  Vir- 
ginia Midland;  R.  &  D.,  Richmond  and  Danville  Railroad  System: 
S.  F.  &  W.,  Savannah,  Florida  and  Westnrn  Rail wiy;  B.  &  W.,  Bru'is- 
wick  and  Western  Railroad:  Cent.  Ga.,  Central  Railroad  of  Georgia; 
S.  C.  Ry.,  South  Carolina  Railway  ;  L.  k  N.,  Louisville  and  Nash- 
ville Railroad  ;  W.  Ala.,  Western  Railway  of  Alabama  ;  A.  &  W.  P., 
Atlantic  and  West  Point  Railroad  ;  St.  L..  I.  M.  &  So.,  St.  Louis 
Iron  Mountain  and  Southern  Piailway  ;  M.  &  L.  R.,  Memphis  and 
Little  Rock  Railroad  ;  N.,  C.  &  St.  L.,  Nashville.  Chattanooga  and  S^ 
Louis  Railway  :  W.  &  A.,  Western  and  Atlantic  Railroad  ;  E.  T.,  Va] 
&  Ga.,  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Georgia;  W.  N.  C,  Western 
North  Carolina  Railroad. 

13 


CLIMATOLOGY. 


') 


ONDITIONS  of 
climate  form 
one  of  the  first 
considerations 
in  a  place  that 
sets  up  a  claim 
as  a  resort  for 
invalids.  The 
advantage.s  of 
Ashevilleinthis 
respect  have 
long  been  re- 
cognized and  the  place  was  a 
health  r<*sort  before  the  war. 
Dr.  E.  A.  Gatchell,  a  well  known 
physician  and  a  man  of  great  re- 
search, In  a  letter  addressed  to  me  regarding  the  climate 
of  Buncombe  county,  says : 

Many  of  the  most  prominent  physicians  in  the  great 
cities  have  of  late  years  turned  their  attention  to  the   I 
climate  of  this  region,  and  It  has  been  steadily  growing 
in  favor  with  invalids  and  tourists.     People  come  from 

14 


all  parts  of  the  civilized  world  on  account  of  the  climate 
and  other  advantages.  It  is  especially  desirable  be- 
cause of  its  being  an  all-the-year  climate ;  in  other  words, 
the  four  seasons  are  equally  beneficial  in  promoting  the 
recovery  of  patients  suffering  with  pulmonary,  malarial. 


STEEET  SCENE  FROM  COVET  HOCSE,   ASHEVILLE. 

nervous  and  other  diseases.  Thousands  of  invalids  and 
tourists  now  visit  Asheville  annually  in  search  of  health 
and  pleasure. 

During  the  January  cold  wave,  which  swept  over  the 
country  from  Manitoba  to  the  southern  extremity  of 
Florida,  Asheville,  notwithstanding  its  elevation  of 
2,339  feet,  had  a  minimum  temperature  surprisingly 
high  as  compared  with  other  points  in  the  South.  The 
Savannah  river,  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  the  latitude  of 
Aiken,  S.  C,  was  frozen  over,  while  the  French  Broad 

•15 


at  Ashevllle  was  not.  At  OnM-nvillf,  S.  C  ,  1,5(U)  I'l-wt 
below  and  many  miles  south  of  us,  the  mercury  fell  to 
within  two  degrees  of  the  temperature  of  Ashevllle. 
And  it  is  a  well-known  and  conceded  fact  that  a  dr5' 
atmosphere  in  an  elevated  region  makes  a  difference  In 
the  sensations  of  from  ten  to  twenty  degrees,  according 
to  the  elevation  and  dryness.  This  was  noticeable  and 
remarked  upon  by  visitors  here  for  their  health. 

THE    AIR 

of  this  region  has  a  peculiarly  bracing  and  invigorating 
quality,  electrical  in  character;  so  much  so  that  a  dis- 
tinguished visitor  and  patient  remarked  to  the  writer : 
"I  feel  as  if  breathing  champngne."  A  large  propor-  , 
tion  of  the  days  during  the  year  are  sunny,  the  average 
of  clear  days  being  259,  comparing  well  with  other 
mountain  resorts.  There  are  many  days  in  winter  when 
one  feels  as  comfortable  in  the  sunshine  as  he  would  In 
June;  and  in  February  there  are  daj's  when  ladies  can 
go  to  the  woods  with  their  lunch  baskets  on  picnicking 
excursions. 

DRYNE.SS. 

The  rainfall  is  very  small,  being  40.2  Inches,  while 
that  of  Aiken  Is  5.j;  Atlanta,  r.2.7;  and  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  C5.C  Inches.  The  configuration  of  the  surface  Is 
such  that  the  water  runs  off  very  rapidly,  and  the  air 
does  not  become  saturated  with  moisture,  as  it  does 
elsewhere,  being  as  dry  soon  after  a  shower  as  though 
It  had  not  rained. 

According  to  the  climatic  maps  prepared  by  Trof. 
Charles  Denison,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  of  Denver,  Col., 
and  based  on  data  furnished  by  the  Signal  Service  Bu- 
reau, at  Washington,  D.  C,  a  small  tract  of  country 
surrounding  Ashevllle  Is  dryer  In  winter  than  any  other 
point  east  of  the  great  plains.  During  the  spring 
months  the  air  Is  shown  to  he  as  dry  as  that  of  Middle 
Kansas;  In  the  summer  mon|hs  the  air  of  AshevlHe 
ir. 


4 


corrc'sponds  In  humidity  to  tlie  dry  region  surrounding 
San  Antonio,  Texas;  wliile  the  atmosphere  during  the 
autumn  is  as  dry  as  that  of  New  Braunfels,  a  few  miles 
east  of  San  Antonio. 

TEMPEKATUKE. 

Ashevllle  possesses  a  winter  temperature  several  de- 
grees warmer  than  that  of  Geneva,  Switzerland,  and 
Turin,  Italy,  and  fourteen  degrees  warmer  than  that  of 
Davos,  in  the  Swiss  Alps,  where  a  thousand  patients  are 
sent  every  winter  by  the  specialists  of  Europe  for  the 
beneficial  effects  of  its  mountain  air. 

Regarding  the  spring  and  summer  months,  it  is  sutfi- 
cient  to  state  that  during  a  period  of  eight  years  the 
mercury  but  twice  rose  above  88  degrees,  and  tliat  the 
maximum  temperature  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  is  from  12  to 
15  degrees  higher  than  that  of  Ashevllle. 

I  wish  especially  to  impress  upon  the  mind  of  the 
reader  the  fact  that  nearly  all  invalids  going  to  the  very 
high  altitude  of  Colorado  on  the  one  hand,  or  to  the  low 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Gulf  or  Atlantic  coast  on 
the  other,  must  become  acclimatized  before  real  im- 
provement can  take  place ;  while  to  any  one  coming  to 
^  the  medium  altitude  and  relatively  equable  climate  of  ' 
Western  North  Carolina  nothing  of  the  kind  is  neces- 
sary. 

HEALTHFULNESS. 

Neai"ly  all  of  the  great  authorities  on  climate  in  its 
relation  to  pulmonary  diseases  agree  upon  the  impor- 
tance of  the  following  conditions  :  1st.  Altitude.  Prof. 
Loomis  writes  that  his  "best  results,  when  evidences 
of  consolidation  were  present,  have  been  obtained  in 
mountain  regions  1,-500  to  2,000  feet  above  the  sea,"  and 
mentions  Ashevllle  as  a  place  where  his  "most  decid- 
edly beneficial  and  permanent  results  have  been  ob- 
tained." 2d.  Dryness  and  purity  of  air.  The  air  of 
Ashevllle  possesses  these  qualities  in  an  eminent  de- 
- 17 


grec.  3(1.  Coolness  of  air  tcmperatunj  and  wariuth  ufbun 
temperature.  These  also  obtain  at  Abhoville.  iLh.  The 
rarefaction  and  low  pressure  of  the  air.  .'jth.  The 
Intensity  of  the  light.  Asheville  possesses  tht  advan- 
tage of  all  the  above  qualities,  and  their  eCfeet  on  the 
visitor  is  to  increase  the  appetite  and  strength,  cause  i 
sound  sleep,  and  aid  toward  nervous  energy  and  the  ac- 
tivity of  the  skin. 

Dr.  Huntington  liichards,  of  New  York,  writing  in 
"Wood's  Reference  Hand-Book  of  the  Medical  Sci- 
ences," states  that  Asheville  is  a  "medium-altitude  " 
resort,  "and,  short  of  the  often  inconveniently  distant 
Kocky  Mountain  Plateau,  no  better  elevated  winter  and 
summer  resort  for  phthisical  (consumptive)  patients 
exists  in  the  territory  of  the  United  States — probably 
none  as  good."  And  J.  A.  Heagan,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  of 
Weaverville  (six  miles  from  Asheville;,  states  that  in 
his  thirty  years'  practice  he  has  not  seen  a  case  of  "spo- 
radic" consumption. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  same  conditions 
which  tend  to  prevent  and  cure  diseases  of  the  lungs 
will  have  a  similar  efifect  upon  such  affections  as  mala- 
ria, scrofula  and  diseases  of  women  and  children.  Re- 
garding malaria,  its  absence  from  this  region  may  be 
easily  understood  when,  according  to  Prof.  Henry  O. 
Marcy,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who  went 
through  this  entire  section  in  the  saddle  and  carriage, 
"not  a  lake  or  a  swamp  is  to  be  found  In  the  entire  re- 
gion— a  fact  perhaps  without  parallel,  for  an  area  of 
equal  extent,  In  the  world." 

In  concluding  his  paper  on  "  Western  North  Carolina 
AS  a  Health  Resort,"  Dr.  Marcy  says  :  "The  pure  air, 
water  and  climate  hold  out  a  hopeful  helpfulness  to  in- 
valids from  every  land.  The  wise  legislator  seeking  ' 
far-reaching  results  would  do  well  to  consider  the  ad- 
visability of  secuilng,  under  State  control,  a  large  res- 
is 


ervation  of  the  higher  ranges  as  a  park.  Its  cost  at 
present  would  be  merely  nominal.  Like  the  peaks  and 
glaciers  of  Switzerland,  its  indirect  returns  of  monetary 
gain  would  be  more  sure  than  bonded  interest,  and  its 
sanitary  advantages  would  be  of  a  value  incalculable  to 
millions  yet  unborn." 

SCKNEKY. 
"Tliose  beautiful  States  of  the  South — those  regions  than  which 
the  whole  earth  offers  nothing  more  fertile  or  more  lovely. — John 
Bright. 

Who  would  not  take  a  trip  through  the  mountains  of 
North  Carolina,  provided  the  chance  was  offered  ? 
Everybody  would,  I  dare  say.  A  country  dame,  on  her 
first  visit  to  the  sea,  looking  over  its  vastness  and  men- 
tally contrasting  it  with  the  pent-up  Utica  that  hitherto 


had  contracted  her  powers,   exclaimed:     "I'm  glad  to 
see  something  that  there  is  enough  of."    No  doubt  one 
passing  along  the  Western  North  Carolina  Railroad 
might  make  a  similar  exclamation  on  beholding  Na- 
ture's grand  and  impressive  scenery  which  lies  every- 
where aromid,  and  say  with  equal  delight, 
"  Is  not  the  scene  magnificent  ? 
Beauty  nowhere  owes  to  mountains 
Lovelier  haunts  than  these." 
The  romancer's  pen  and  the  artist's  pencil  have  al- 
ready portrayed  with  equal  beauty  the  scenery  of  West- 
ern North  Carolina.    This  lovely  "land  of  the  sky  "  has 
been  a  theme  for  many  years  past,  and  so  it  will  be  for 

19 


many  years  to  come.  Beautiful  tn  plcturosque  loveli- 
ness, grand  and  Imposing  In  majesty,  awe-lnsplrlng  In 
natural,  rugged  beauty,  and  simply  wonderful  In  all  Its 
character,  the  western  section  of  this  State  can  never  be 
fully  appreciated  until  It  Is  seen  and  traveled  over. 
Here  upon  every  height  lies  repose,  and  every  land- 
scape extends  a  silent  Invitatjoii  to  the  sojourner  to 
stay  and  enjoy  its  rest.     Hero  the  majestic  forests  seem 

to  have 

•'  A  harp  for  every  wind, 

A  voice  for  every  sky." 

Here  In  the  hot  and  sultry  days  of  midsummer,  among 
Nature's  grand  old  peaks  and  sentinels,  with  their  6,000 
feet  of  altitude,  you  are  refreshed  by 

•'  The  winds  stealing  genUy  through  the  foreste, 
Among  the  leaves  that  palpitate  forever." 

Here  you  see  fertile  valleys,  where  cereals  and  fruits 
cheer  the  heart  of  man,  while  the  circling  mountains 
shut  out  the  rest  of  the  world  from  your  vision.  This  Is 
a  country  on  which  the  red  man  of  the  forest  has  lavished 
a  wealth  of  affection,  breathed  forth  in  the  poetic  names 
he  has  bestowed  upon  its  hills  and  streams— names 
that  in  many  cases  have  perished  or  lost  their  import  to 
the  white  man.  Here  your  eyes  may  dwell  upon  beds 
of  mountain  flowers  and  ferns  of  endless  hue  and  variety, 
while  wild  roses  and  tendrils  from  hanging  vines  greet 
the  vision  in  endless  profusion,  reminding  you  of  a  ver- 
itable Arcadia.  Hero  are  hills  of  majestic  beauty, 
streams  of  sparkling  water,  gorges  echoing  with  tiie 
roar  of  the  torrent,  cascades  of  tremendous  force, 
chasms  of  wild,  dreary  fascination;  In  fact,  this  is  a 
region  of  mountain  grandeur  that  will  ever  and  anon 
tempt  the  prophetic  soul  and  yearning  heart  of  man  to 
meditate  over  life's  fitful  change,  and  say,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  poet, 

"  But  let  me  often  to  theBe  Bolitudes 
Retire,  and  in  Thy  presence  reassure 
i  _  My  feeble  virtue." 

20 


4 


AVEKAGE  TEMPERATTTKE  AT  ASHEVILLE. 

Degrees. 

January 38  1 

February 39  8 

March 44  7 

April '  53^9 

May 61.5 

June 69.1 

Ju'y 71.9 

Feet 

August 70.7 

September 63  8 

October 528 

November 43  9 

December 37  3 

HEIGHT    OP    MOUNTAINS    IN    NORTH    CAROLINA,    ABOVE 

SEA   LEVEL,  NEAR   THE  WRSTERN   NORTH 

CAROLINA   RAILROAD. 

Feet. 

Mitchell's  Peak 0,711 

Balsam  Cone 6,671 

Hairy  Bear 6,610 

Cat-tail  Peak 6  611 

These  are  the  highest  on  the  Black  mountain  (main  chain), 
and  are  in  Yancey  county. 

Roan  Mountain,  Mitchell  county 6,306 

Big  Craggy 6,090 

Table  Bock,  Burke  county 3,918 

Hawk's  Bill.  "  4  090 

Amos  Piatt's  Balsam,  Haywood  conuiy 6,278 

Brother  Piatt,  Haywood  county 6,240 

Jones' Balsam,  "  6.223 

Rocky  Face,  "  6,031 

Rock  Stand  Knob,  "  6,005 

Richland  Balsam,  '  6,422 

Chimney  Peak 6.234 

Great  Pisgah 5757 

Co  wee  Ledge,  Macon  county 4,402 

Chimney  Top.  "  4,563 

Scaly  Mountain,        "  4,835 

Nona  Mountain,        "  5,542 

Wayah  Peak  of  Nantehaleh,  Macon  county 5,494 

Nantehaleh  Qap,  Macon  county  4,168 

21 


Ffel 

TnsquitUh  Mountain.  Cherokee  conntjr 6.314 

Konahelah.  Cherokee  connty *.*93 

Valley  River  Gap.  Cherokee  couuty S.S'^ 

Red  Marble  Gap.  "  2,»i8C 

(;h\mky  Gal,  Clay  connty *  ^>^ 

Cbeowah  MaxiDiuni,  Graham  conoty 4. TOO 

Pinnade  of  Linuville 2.969 

HEIGHT  OF  PRoillNENT  PLACES,  ABOVE  SEA  I>EVEL.. 

fWt. 

Salisbury "*^ 

Stateevllle 9*0 

Morgantou 1.140 

Marion 1  .*26 

Point  Tunnel  (first  tunnel) l.l'Sa 

Swannanoa  Gap 2.667 

Swannanoa  Tunnel 2.610 

Month  of  Swannanoa  1  ■•''" 

ABheville 2.2fiO 

arshall 1.'584 

Warm  Springs ^  325 

Paint  Ruck 1.264 

Alexander's  Bridge 1.79C 

Waynesville 2  766 

Balsam  Gap  Railroad  Pa»» 3.411 

Month  01  Scott's  Creek l.»"7 

Webster  C.  H.,  Jackson  coniit\  2.203 

Franklin  C.  H.,  Macon  county 2  141 

Munday'B  Aqnone  on  Nantehaleli 2.931 

Qnalla  Town 1.9''9 

Lenoir,  Caldwell  connty 1  ^^^ 

Kabun  Gap 2  16» 

Tennessee  River,  near  Franklin 2.020 

Tt-nnessee  River,  at  mouth  of  Almka 1  6^6 

Tennessee  River,  at  State  Line 1.114 

Month  of  Valley  River 1514 

Valley  Town    Mrc  Walker's 1311 

Sherville,  Cbeowah  River 2,072 

The  Bltick  mountains  have  eighteen  peaks  more  than 
G.OOO  feet  high;  the  highe.st,  Mitchell,  r.,711  ;  Black 
Dome,  6,707;  Mountain  House  (on  Mt.  Mitchell  i,  5.'24rj. 
In  the  Swannanoa  mountains,  on  the  left  going  west, 

22 


Young's  Knob  is  4,387  feet;  Flat  Top,  4,378.  The  ter- 
minal peak  of  the  range,  Silver  Cliff,  six  miles  from 
Asheville,  is  3,850.  Pisgah,  in  view  of  Ashevilie  to  the 
southwest,  is  5,757.  Fifteen  of  the  peaks  about  Wa^  nes- 
ville  exceed  G.OOO  feet,  the  highest,  Sam's  Knob,  being 
6,491.  Til  ere  are  fifty-seven  mountains  in  Western 
North  Carolina  above  G,000  feet  high.  Along  the  divid- 
ing line  between  this  State  and  Tennessee  there  are 
some  rising  higher,  the  average  of  the  whole  chain  ex- 
ceeding 5,000  feet.  The  highest  peak  of  the  Smoky 
mountains  is  6,6G6  feet;  the  Roan,  6,306;  Grandfather, 
5,897  ;  and  Table  Rock,  3,918. 

Boone,  the  most  elevated  village  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  is  3,222  feet  high;  Bakersville,  2,550; 
Waynesville,  2,757;  and  Burnsville,  2,840. 

Daniel  Boone,  the  greatest  Nimrod  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere,  the  dweller  in  the  Blue  Ridge  caves  and 
scout  of  the  highest  peaks,  expired  at  a  deer-stand,  with 
rifle  in  hand,  pierced  through  the  heart  by  an  Indian 
arrow,  in  the  year  1818.  Byron  alluded  to  him  in  the 
following : 

"  Crime  came  not  near  him;  she  is  not  the  child 
Of  Solitude.    Health  shrank  not  Irom  him,  for 
Her  home  is  in  the  rarely  trodden  wild." 

Western  North  Carolina  is  a  mountainous  expanse, 
measuring  about  100  miles  in  length  by  an  average 
breadth  of  mountain  plateau  of  thirty  miles,  yet  in  all 
this  area  there  is  not  one  lake.  There  are  rushing 
streams  and  rapid  gorges,  but  no  deep  lakes  for  the 
breeding  of  malaria — there  is  no  rest  for  the  sparkling 
waters,  they  go  on  forever  to  the  deep  blue  sea. 

There  is  no  better  country  in  the  world  for  the  sports- 
man than  Western  North  Carolina.  Come  and  see  for 
yourself. 

The  Grandfather,  the  highest  peak  of  the  Blue  Ridge, 
5,897  feet,  is  the  oldest  mountain  in  the  world.    It  de- 


rives  its  name  of  Grandfather  from  the  fact  that  Ita 
rocks  are  of  the  Archtran  age,  and  the  oldest  outcrop- 
pings  of  tlie  globe. 

Geologically  speaking,  the  mountains  of  Western 
North  Carolina  are  the  oldest  in  the  world. 

The  Indian  population  In  North  Carolina  In  the  year 
1700  wa.s  about  8,000. 

In  one  of  the  mountains  near  Ashevllle  is  a  seat 
erected  by  an  Indian  maiden,  built  of  flat  rocks,  where, 
it  is  said,  she  was  courted  by  one  of  the  warriors  of  the 
Cherokee  tribe.  The  beauty  of  the  place  is  in  the  rever- 
/  berating  sounds  it  gives  forth — not  even  a  whisper  is  a 
secret.  Our  young  couples  should  beware  of  this  place, 
as  no  secrets  are  hidden  there. 

A  FEW   INDIAN  NAMES  AND  THEIR   EQUIVAIiENTS. 

Alleehany — EUidlesB.  Cbickaniauga— River  of  Deatli. 

Talikeooskee—Raciug  river.  Swannanoa    (Noisy  river,  or 

Ocklawaba — Slowly  moving  water  iNympU  of  beauty. 

Minnebaba — Siuiliug  water.  Yona — Bear. 

Tuckasege — Terrapin.  Salucater — Com  bread. 

Nantahala  ["^^^  *'"■'  between,  or  Tawbalageska— Power. 

<  A  maiden's  bosom.  Culasaga — Sugar. 

Potomac — Come  by  water.  Toiusta — Coffee. 

Savannab— Place  of  beauty.  Waka — Cow. 

Colebuiayetb— Raven  water.  Catate— Wliisky. 

Pocaaen— Tbe  land  of  lead.  Kentneka— Negro. 

Satoola — Near  at  hand.  Unaka — Wbito  man. 

Rappahannock  —  The    current  Chelatuckalala — Fire    wagon,    or 

comes  again.  steam  car. 

CuUasaja — Sweet  water.  Colaqua — Gun. 

Watauga — The  river  of  islands.  Watahoakaboocha- -Pretty  girl. 

I'aptaps'co — Backwater.  Scositayouyaw   unaka  —  Mean 

Chesapeake — Saperiorsaltishbay.  white  man. 

.-Vlimuchuraabut — Long  stream.  Cbnna  steek— Little  baby. 

Chowan— Southern  people.  Occenolla — Good  morning. 

Wackena — A  creek.  Cocliahaa — Where  you  going? 

</'harho — Ti.bacco.  Cochawhata — Where  you  been? 

Chuteche— A  peak.  Sutta-^Fish. 

Nickrerurob— An  Englishman.  Yanka — Fork,  pin  or  needle. 

•2i 


Entequos — A  man.  Cholaaquatoolla — I  want  a  chew 
Counoowa — A  woman.  of  tobacco. 

Kateocca — A  wife.  Igale — 1  reckon. 

Wattatloowatse — A  lazy  fellow.  Clantnochigatta— T  don't  know. 

Oo-teighne — Let's  smoke.  Johnelica— All  right. 

Oukwockaninniwock — Let's  take  Kawhala — Paper. 

a  drink.  Tala — Money. 

Connaughjost  t wane— All  the  In-  Delonega — Gold  money. 

dians  are  drunk.  TJnaka  tala— Silver  money. 

Wessa — Cat  creek.  Conahana — Hominy. 

Ketla — Dog.  Kanigatah— Haven't  got  it. 

Note. — These  names  and  their  significations  were  obtained  after 
many  months'  research  in  this  State,  as  well  as  in  Washington  City. 

A  physician  of  Asheville  states  that  with  more  com- 
fortable houses,  better  markets  and  other  improvements, 
cures  of  pulmonary  diseases  are  much  more  common 
here  than  formerly.  Asheville  possesses  the  best  all- 
/  the-year  climate  in  the  United  States ;  in  other  words, 
the  four  seasons  are  equally  beneficial  in  aiding  the 
physician  to  cure  pulmonary,  malarial  and  nervous  dis- 
eases. 

REASONS     WHY     ASHEVILLE     IS     THE     MOST     DESTKABLE 
HEALTH  KESOET   IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Because  it  has  a  large  proportion  of  sunny  days. 

Because  Prof.  Chas.  Denison's  "  climatic  maps  "  show 
it  to  possess  an  air  as  dry  as  that  of  Middle  Kansas,  and 
San  Antonio,  Texas. 

Because  it  has  an  altitude  of  2,339  feet  above  the  sea. 

Because  it  is  within  easy  reach  of  all  the  chief  cities 
of  the  United  States. 

Because  it  possesses  the  only  all-the-year  climate. 

Because  it  is  in  a  region  of  the  most  beautiful  scenery. 

Because  it  has  a  smaller  rainfall  than  any  other 
Southern  resort. 

Because  the  summer  temperature  is  cooler  than  that 
of  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Because  the  winters  are  sufSeiently  mild  for  most  in- 
valids to  take  daily  out-of-door  exercise. 


Because  It  is  recommended  by  Prof.  Alfred  L.  Looml8, 
M.  D..  Henry  O.  Marcy,  M.  D.,  Charles  Kearns,  M.  D., 
G.  0.  E.  Weber,  M.  D.,  Henry  F.  Blggar,  M.  D.,  and 
hundreds  of  other  physicians  of  eminence. 

In  Swain  county,  just  outside  Charlestown,  Is  the  site 
of    the  ancient  Indian  village  of  Younaahqua  or  Big 
Bear.     Quallatown  is  the  present  Cherokee  settlement. ' 
The  Indians  now  number  about  2,000. 

For  scenery,  for  health,  for  the  enjoyment  of  the 
beautiful,  for  a  stroll  among  sparkling,  rippling  streams, 
or  a  tramp  up  mountains  of  gorgeous  beauty,  for  pic- 
turesque drives  around  hanging  clitTs,  and  for  a  day  of 
exquisite  enjoyment  among  Nature's  sublimest  handi- 
work, commend  me  to  the  mountains  of  Western  North 
Carolina. 

Pli.-VCES  OF   INTEREST. 

"  O  happy  if  ye  knew  your  happy  state. 
Ye  rangers  of  the  fields !  where  Nature's  l)oon 
Cheers  with  her  Buiiles,  and  every  element 
Conspires  to  bless." 

I  am  Indebted  to  Mr.  Charles  Lathrop  Pack,  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  for  the  following  excellent  description  o( 
the  many  places  of  interest  near  Asheville.  Mr.  Pack 
has  been  an  extensive  traveler,  not  only  in  this  country 
but  throughout  Europe,  and  his  descriptions  of  the  sev- 
eral places  mentioned  are  exceedingly  well  drawn  and 
true  to  nature.  Mr.  Pack  rode  or  drove  over  the  whole 
of  the  section  described,  specially  for  the  purpose  of 
insuring  the  strict  fidelity  of  this  account. 


PLACES  OF  INTEREST 

IN  AND  AROUND  ASHEVILLE — SUGGESTIONS  FOK  WALKS, 
ETDES  AND  DRIVES. 


ANY  visitors  to 
Asheville,  and 
particularly 
seekers  after 
health  and  lovers 
of  Nature,  find 
their  greatest  at- 
traction in  the 
daily  excursions 
which  can  be 
made  into  the 
surround  in g 
country.  The 
variety  of  agreeable  walks  for  the  pedestrian  is  sur- 
passed only  by  the  attractiveness  of  the  roads,  paths 
and  trails  suitable  for  riding  or  driving.  For  a  moun- 
tainous region,  the  roads  about  Asheville  are  numerous 
and  excellent.  Drives  may  bo  extended  for  miles  up 
and  down  the  banks  of  the  French  Broad  or  Swannanoa 
river,  or  across  the  country,  as  fancy  may  suggest. 
Battery  Porter,  in  the  central  part  of    the  town,   is 

•27 


a  line  hill,  commanding  a  beautiful  view  of  the  west- 
em  mountains,  and  is  a  popular  morning  or  evening  wulk. 
A  roadway  from  Patton  avenue  leads  to  the  summit. 
Hero  tho  nt'w  Battery  Porter  Hotel  in  being  erected. 

Beaucatcher  is  the  popular  name  of  the  small  mountain 
east  of  the  town.  Two  good  roads  lead  to  the  gap  just 
at  the  entrance  to  Mr.  Hazzard's  private  grounds  on  the 
summit.  Visitors  are  permitted  to  ascend  by  the  drive- 
way to  the  lawn  surrounding  the  house,  where  the  finest 
view  of  the  town  Is  obtained.  The  distance  from  the 
public  square  is  about  one  mile,  and  the  climb  is  highly 
commended  for  the  view  of  sunrise  or  sunset. 

Town  Mountain  is  about  one  mile  northeast  of  tiie 
town.  The  way  there  is  via  CJollege  street,  leaving  the 
public  square  at  the  northeast  corner.  Passing  the  col- 
lege grounds  on  the  left,  the  city  reservoir  is  seen  on 
the  lower  side  of  Town  Mountain.  The  road  to  the 
summit  turns  sharply  to  the  left  and  passes  the  reser- 
voir. Many  think  the  finest  view  of  the  town  Is  ob- 
tained from  this  road. 

A  favorite  drive  Is  across  the  French  Broad  river  to 
Richmond  Hill  about  three  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west. The  road  thither  is  the  first  one  to  the  right  from 
Hayward  street  after  passing  Battery  Porter.  About  a 
mile  from  town  the  road  enters  the  grounds  of  Mr.  Rich- 
mond Pierson  through  the  outer  boundary  gate.  The 
French  Broad  river  is  crossed  on  a  private  bridge,  after 
which  the  way  passes  up  an  easy  slope  to  the  Innergate ; 
thence  along  a  shady  ridge  covered  with  forest  trees, 
like  an  English  park,  a  final  climb  leading  to  the 
rustic  house  on  the  summit.  The  charm  of  the  view  Is 
its  variety  and  the  frequent  gleamings  of  the  river,  with 
views  of  the  town  and  mountains. 

Tahkeeoskee  Farm,  on  the  French  Broad  river,  oppo- 
site the  railway  station,  Is  some  three  miles  from  the 
square,  via  Patton  avenue  and  the  Iron  bridge.     After 

•28 


crossing  the  river,  the  Sulphur  Springs  and  Waynesville 
road  turns  to  the  left.  The  entrance  to  the  farm,  at 
which  a  sign  is  displayed,  is  a  short  distance  beyond. 
The  public  are  welcome,  and  the  driveways  are  inviting 
and  afford  a  pleasant  view  of  the  river  and  its  pictur- 
esque and  shady  banks. 

Strawberry  Hill,  the  property  of  Mr.  J.  Adger  Clark, 
is  a  mile  further  on,  and  should  be  visited  for  the  view. 

Sulphur  Springs,  further  on  in  this  direction,  is  about 
five  miles  from  town.  The  road  thither  is  pleasant,  but 
the  springs  themselves  are  unattractive. 

Fernihurst,  the  property  of  Mr.  Conually,  is  two  miles 
south  of  Asheville,  the  route  leaving  the  main  road 
at  the  second  turn  to  the  right  after  crossing  Town 
Branch,  at  the  foot  of  Main  street  hill.  The  mountain 
view  is  grand,  with  a  pleasant  pastoral  foreground  of 
fields,  river  and  valley.  In  the  immediate  foreground  is 
the  junction  of  the  Swannanoa  and  French  Broad 
rivers. 

Gouche's  Peak  and  Elk  Mountain  are  between  four 
and  five  miles  north  of  the  town,  and  are  favorite  points 
for  a  morning  trip  on  horseback.  The  way  is  via  the 
Beaver  Dam  road,  leaving  the  main  street  a  short  dis- 
tance north  of  the  post-oIFice. 

Five  miles  southwest  of  Asheville  is  Antler  Hall,  or 
Tennaut's,  one  of  the  best  examples  of  an  old-time  plan- 
tation residence  to  be  found  in  this  region.  The  rich 
bottom  lands  along  the  French  Broad  river,  with  the 
mountains  in  the  background,  over  which  grandly  tow- 
l     ,  ers  old  Pisgah,  nearly  6,000  feet  high,  combine  to  form 

''  a  view  well  worth  a  much  longer  journey.    The  visitor 

•  .  should  take  the  main  Hendersonville  highway  south, 

•  down  Main  street  to  the  biidge  over  the  Swannanoa 
river  (two  miles) ;  cross  the  bridge  and  turn  immediately 

\  to  the   right.    This    road   divides    at   the    "Haunted 

t  House,"  a  picturesque  ivy-covered  building  near  the 

29 


Swaiiiiaiioti  ford.  lu  golnj;  to  Tennant's,  keep  to  tho 
right  hand  along  the  river ;  further  on  tho  road  loavet;  tho 
river,  and  after  climbing  a  long  hill  and  passing  through 
two  gates,  tho  house  and  best  point  for  a  view  is  reached. 

The  Swannanoa  Drive  is  one  of  the  best.  The  road 
leaves  the  Hendersonvlllo  highway  just  before  crossing 
tlio  iron  bridge  over  the  Swannanoa  river,  two  miles 
south  of  town.  The  way  is  up  the  river,  along  its  ro- 
mantic and  picturesque  banks.  In  the  spring,  wlien  tho 
wild  rhododendrons,  kalmia  and  azaleas  are  in  bloom, 
the  beauty  of  this  excui-sion  is  greatly  enhanced.  In 
returning,  take  the  road  leading  to  town  over  the  top  of 
Beaucatcher,  which  is  rather  steep,  l)ut  shorter  than  the 
way  taken  in  setting  out.  The  Beaucatcher  road  leaves 
the  Swannanoa  at  Mr.  Clieesborougli's  private  wooden 
bridge,  the  first  up  the  river  after  leaving  the  Hendor- 
sonville  highway. 

Arden  Park  Hotel  is  ten  miles  south  of  Ashevillo,  a 
short  distance  to  the  west  of  the  HendersonviUe  road. 
The  hotel,  with  its  cottages,  attracts  in  summer  a  very 
congenial  companj-,  and  tiie  table  is  home-like  and  excel- 
lent. Visitors  frequently  drive  or  ride  to  Arden  for  din- 
ner, or  remain  to  the  frequent  enteilainmonts,  returning 
to  town  by  moonlight.     The  hotel  is  closed  in  winter. 

Alexander's  was  a  celebrated  old-time  wayside  house 
when  the  coach  road  through  the  French  Broad  pass 
was  the  only  means  of  travel  between  Tennessee  and 
the  West  and  the  Carolinas.  Its  inviting  homeliness 
and  its  antiquated  air  of  comfort  and  good  cheer  attract 
many  strangers  during  the  warm  weather.  The  distance 
is  ten  miles  from  Asheville,  following  Main  street  north 
and  thence  taking  the  road  down  the  river.  The  trip  is 
more  pleasant  on  horseback  than  by  carriage,  as  the  old 
coach  road  is  rocky  and  rough  In  places  where  it  en- 
croaches upon  the  river.  The  view  of  the  rapids  of  the 
French  Broad  well  repays  the  time  spent.    The  dis- 

30 


A  DRIVE  ON  THE  EEENCH   EBOAD  EIVEB. 


tance  to  Alexander's  by  rail  is  the  same  as  by  the  high- 
way. 

The  foregoing  list  of  places  of  interest  and  shorter  ex- 
cursions is  by  no  means  intended  to  exhaust  tlie  subject, 
but  only  to  serve  as  a  nucleus  around  which  the  reader 
may  gather  such  facts  as  suit  his  individual  taste.  Only 
prominent  localities  are  here  outlined,  leaving  a  wide 

31 


field  untouched.  Few  regions  afford  such  opportuniHos 
(or  Individual  exploration  and  discovery  as  the  country 
about  Ashoville;  and  every  lover  of  Nature  who  niakoH 
a  prolonged  sUiy  is  sure  to  And  many  delightful  noolis 
and  corners,  byways  and  pathF  that  are  uiilinown  to  the 
average  resident. 

MOUNTAIN   EXCURSIONS. 

Asheville  Is  the  best  stalling  point  for  a  great  variety 
of  mountain  trips,  which  are  unsurpassed  In  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  scenery  by  those  possible  in  any  region  in 
the  eastern  portion  of  our  country,  not  excepting  the 
Adirondaclts  or  the  White  Mountains.  Ck)nveyance6 
and  saddle  hoi"ses  and  mules  are  to  be  had  at  several 
places  in  town.  A  guide,  or  driver  who  will  also  act  as 
guide,  is  almost  necessary  in  ascending  Mount  Mitchell, 
Craggy  mountain.  Mount,  Tisgah  or  Iloan  mountain,  and 
the  trip  to  Hickory  Nut  Gap,  Buck  Forest  or  Qesar's 
Head  will  be  found  much  more  interesting  with  some  one 
to  point  out  the  way  and  places  of  interest.  Mr.  Howeiis, 
to  be  found  at  Mr.  J.  V.  Sevier's  livery  stable,  just  be- 
low the  Swannanoa  Hotel,  is  an  excellent  guide  and  a 
gentleman  wlioni  all  will  do  well  to  consult  in  making 
plans  for  mountain  expeditions. 

Mount  Mitchell,  the  higliest  of  the  Black  mountains, 
with  an  altitude  of  C),?!?  feet,  is  the  highest  land  east  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  Three  days  are  required  for  a 
full  enjoyment  of  the  trip,  including  a  night  spent  at 
the  shelving  rocks  or  cave  on  the  summit  to  see  the  sun- 
set and  sunrise.  Warm  clothing  and  blankets  also,  if  a 
night  is  to  be  passed  on  the  top,  are  required  even  in 
summer,  as  the  high  peak  has  an  atmosphere  c»f  its  own. 
The  way  is  up  the  Swannanoa,  most  of  the  way  along  the 
banks.  Some  eighteen  miles  from  town  is  Patton's,  the 
usual  place  for  meals  or  spending  a  night.  Here,  too, 
guides  and  saddle  animals  can  be  obtained,  sm  the  real 
ascent  must  be  made  In  the  saddle,  a  steep  climb  of 

32 


three  or  four  hours.  The  scene  from  the  summit  Is 
grand.  The  writer,  who  has  ascended  other  mountains 
in  this  country  and  in  Europe,  can  recommend  it  very 
highly. 


MOUNT  MITCHELL. 


Mount  Pisgah,  with  an  altitude  of  5,757  feet,  is  some 
twenty  miles  southwest.  Jl  bridle  path  leads  to  the  high 
peak,  passing  over  the  bacli  of  "The  Rat."  Saddle  ani- 
mals for  the  ascent  should  be  taken  from  town,  but  a 
good  wagon  road  goes  as  far  as  the  quaint  and  popular 

33 


mountain  farm-house  known  as  "the  Widow  Davis's," 
at  the  foot  of  th«  mountain.  Here  good  meals  and 
lodging  can  be  obtained.  Everything  is  home-made, 
even  to  the  hand-woven  blankets  and  sheets.  Visitors 
go  to  this  farm-hou&e  the  first  day,  remain  over  night, 
make  the  ascent  and  return  to  the  house  the  next  day, 
and  on  the  third  return  to  Asheville.  This  makes  an 
easy  and  delightful  three  days'  excursion. 

Roan  Mountain,  via  Bakersvllle,  is  about  seventy 
miles  nearly  northeast  from  AsheviUe.  The  Cloudland 
Hotel  suggests  an  airy  perch,  as  it  is,  being  G,250  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  High  Knob  is  fi.aOfi  feet  above  the 
sea.  Travelers  going  north  can  go  to  the  ll.)an  by  car- 
riage, and  thence  to  Johnson  City,  and  north  via  the 
East  Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Georgia  Railroad.  The 
rhododendrons  on  the  Roan  are  a  rare  sight,  with  their 
blaze  of  color,  when  in  bloom. 

Cuisar's  Head,  a  splendid  eminence  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  Tran.sylvania.  stretching  across  the  South 
Carolina  line,  affords  a  sweeping  and  almost  unlimited 
outlook  over  the  lowlands.  The  distance  Is  fort^'-five 
miles  south  from  Asheville.  A  delightful  trip  can  be 
made  via  Brevard,  twenty-eight  miles.  The  tourist  can 
remain  here  over  night,  and  drive  to  Ca'-.ar's  Head  (six- 
teen miles)  the  next  day,  via  Buck  Forest,  famous  for 
its  fish  and  game.  The  hotel  at  Cajsar's  Head  is  well 
patronized  during  the  summer. 

Hickory  Nut  Gap  claims  manifold  attractions,  and  the 
trip  is  readily  accompli.shed  on  horseback  or  by  buggy  or 
carriage.  Crossing  the  Swannanoa,  the  road  leads  south- 
east after  passing  the  railway.  High  Falls  Is  twenty-two 
miles  distant.  Thescenery  is  peculiarly  beautiful.  Chim- 
ney Rock  and  the  Pools  should  not  be  out  of  the  trip. 
By  spending  the  night  at  Mrs.  Sherrill's,  near  the  top 
of  the  Gap,  the  beauties  of  the  region  can  all  lie  .seen 
in  two  days. 

34 


C^SAK'S  HKAD. 


The  foUcwIng  is  a  list  of  places  of  Interest  in  and 
around  Asheville,  with  distance  In  miles : 

Milf$. 
ISame. 

Tower  of  SwaDDanoa  Hotel 'o  town. 

Battery  Porter 

Beaumont  {altitude  nearly  2,800  feet) 

Top  Town  Mountain 

Femlhnrst  (Connally 'a  View) "^ 

Talikeoookee  Farm 

Richmond  Hill  (Pearson's  View) * 

Gouebe'8  Peak  (Dufflelds  View) " 

Elk  Mountain 

Tennanfs  View 

Strawberry  Hill  (Clark's  Farm) 

French  Broad  River,  nearest  point.  1  mile  ;  drives  of 1  to  50 

Swannanoa  River,  nearest  point.  2  milea  ;  drives  of 1  to  10 

Lee's  Chalybeate  Springs  (Iron) 

Sulphur  Springs  (Yellow) 

Blackwell's  Sulphur  Springs  (White) 

Arden  Park 

Reams  Creek  Falls 

Alexander's  Falls 

Warm  Springs,  on  French  Broad  River 

Waynosville  White  Sulphur  Springs ^ 

Hickory  Nut  Falls 

Bald  Mountain  (of  volcanic  Botoriety) 

Cave  of  the  Winds,  Pools,  Chimney  Rocks,  eic 2» 

Pisgah  Mountain  (altitude,  5.767  feet) ^ 


Swannanoa  Gap 

Craggy  Mcjjintain,  to  foot.  U  miles  ;  to  top  (altitude  6,090  ft.) 
Mt.  Mitchell,  to  foot,  18  miles  ;  to  top  (altitude,  C,717  ft.). . . 

Cesar's  Head 

Roan  Mountain  (altitude,  6,306  feet) 

Hendersonville 

Buck  Forest 


i 


POPULARITY  AS  A  HEALTH  RESORT. 


BEAT  crowds  in 
both  summer  and 
winter  attest  Ashe- 
ville's  growth  and 
popularity  as  a 
health  resort,  as 
well  as  a  winter  san- 
itarium. Says  Dr. 
Henry  O.  Marcy,  of 
Boston,  a  distin- 
guished physician:  "Within  the  last  two  or  three 
years  I  have  sent  a  considerable  number  of  invalids 
to  Asheville,  with  excellent  results."  From  all  parts 
of  the  country  flock  people  to  this  mountain  city 
of  peculiar  beauty  and  interest.  There  were  re- 
gistered last  year  in  the  city  over  30,000  visitors, 
and  in  contemplation  of  a  large  increase  of  invalids, 
tourists  and  pleasure  seekers,  there  is  a  magnificent 
hotel  under  construction  on  Battery  Porter,  one  of  the 
most   commanding  sites  in  the  city.    The    increased 

37 


building  of  summer  houses  by  people  from  afar  attests  the 
popularity  of  this  place  as  a  resort  of  groat  attractiveness. 

The  proprietors  of  the  ever-popular  Swannanoa,  well 
and  favorably  known  as  the  tourists'  hotel,  are  making 
arrangements  to  meet  the  increased  travel  this  spring 
and  summer.  This  hotel  is  home-like,  comfortable  and 
convenient,  and  the  proprietors,  Messrs.  Rawls  Bros., 
are  gentlemen  of  exceptional  address,  courtesy  and 
affability  of  manner.  Besides  being  hosts  in  the  hotel 
keeping  sense,  they  are  hosts  in  themselves  in  the  way 
of  making  guests  feel  comfortable  under  the  hospitable 
roof  of  the  "Old  Swannanoa."  This  hotel,  recently 
enlarged  and  improved  both  for  winter  and  summer 
travel,  is  ever  keeping  pace  with  the  times  in  the  pro- 
vision of  all  the  modern  appointments  and  comforts. 

Situated  in  a  valley  3,000  feet  high,  with  mountains 
around  as  high  again,  with  invigorating  breezes  full  of 
pure  oxygenated  air,  with  a  climate  mild,  pleasant  and 
invigorating;  having  the  advantages  of  altitude  of 
counti-y,  freedom  of  its  air  from  dust,  excellent  drain- 
age, clear  skies,  spring  water  and  invigorating  breezes, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  Asheville  recommends  itself  to  the 
invalid,  the  tourist  and  the  pleasure-seeker. 

BATTEKY  PORTEK  HOTEL. 

This  new  house,  built  by  gentlemen  interested  in  the 
Western  North  Carolina  Railway,  will  be  opened  for 
the  summer  season  of  1886.  It  is  expected  that  the 
house  will  at  once  take  a  leading  position.  The  situa- 
tion is  remarkably  good,  just  aside  from  the  business 
of  the  town,  yet  near  enough  to  be  convenient.  The 
view  from  the  hotel  porches  is  uasurpassed.  The  struct- 
ure is  of  wood  after  designs  by  Philadelphia  architects, 
and  there  are  modern  conveniences,  including  a  passen- 
ger elevator. 

LIST   OF   HOTELS   AND   OTHER   BOARDING    PLACES. 

Swannanoa  Hotel,  South  M  lin  street;  Battery  Porter 

39 


.Mm 


•.'WJcwH«r«s=r-i-j3t 


m^-^v 


SrNSET  HOUSE,   KESIDENCE  OF  L.    M.    PEASE. 

Hotel,  on  Battery  Porter;  Eagle  Hotel,  South  Main 
street;  Carolina  House,  North  Main  street;  Pease's, 
South  Main  street,  one  mile  from  town  ;  Mountain  Cot- 
tage, Main  street;  Anlen  Parii  Hotel  and  Cottages,  ten 
miles  south  of  town ;  Antler  Hall  or  Tennant's,  five 
miles    from     town;     Mrs.     Cape's,     College     street; 

40 


Chunn's,  Patton  avenue ;  McDowell's,  South  Main 
street.  Beside  these  a  large  number  of  private  houses 
are  open  for  boarders  during  the  summer  season. 

WARM  SPRINGS. 

Some  forty  miles  from  Asheville,  down  the  valley  of 
the  French  Broad  are  the  Warm  Springs,  which  have 
had  a  considerable  reputation  for  many  years  on  ac- 
countof  the  valuable  medicinal  qualities  of  their  waters. 
Before  the  war,  as  since,  the  large  hotel  at  the  Springs, 
which  was  burned  in  188.5,  was  a  popular  rendezvous  for 
the  people  of  the  lower  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States.  Since 
the  burning  of  the  hotel  and  buildings,  the  only  accom- 
modations have  been  those  obtainable  at  a  tew  private 
houses.  Recently  (in  I8861  a  company  composed  of 
Northern  and  Southern  gentlemen  has  purchased  the 
Springs  property,  and  is  erecting  a  large,  first-class  hotel 
which  will  have  accommodation  for  several  hundred 
guests.  The  grounds  are  being  improved,  and  the  baths 
thoroughly  rebuilt  in  a  luxurious  manner.  The  Warm 
Springs  are  literally  warm  pools,  rising  to  the  surface 
near  the  river.  The  temperature  is  from  102  degrees  to 
10-4  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  water  is  efficacious  in 
cases  of  rheumatism,  paralysis,  and  similar  muscular 
or  nervous  ailments.  Nine  hundred  feet  lower  than 
Asheville,  the  place  has  an  altitude  of  about  thirteen 
hundred  feet,  and  is  very  healthful.  Passengers  via 
the  Western  North  Carolina  Railway  from  the  West, 
enter  the  picturesque  portion  of  the  French  Broad  river 
country  after  leaving  the  Warm  Springs. 

WAYNESVILIiE,  HAYWOOD    WHITE   SXTLPHUR     SPRINGS. 

Thirty-eight  miles  south  of  the  Warm  Springs,  and 
thirty-two  west  of  Asheville,  being  a  day's  ride  from 
either  place  by  carriage,  are  the  White  Sulphur  Springs. 
From  Asheville  the  trip  can  be  made  by  railroad  in  a 
few  hours.  Here  are  situated  the  celebrated  sulphur 
springs  which  have  gained  so  much  notoriety  for  the 
41 


A  DKIVE  ON  THE  SWANNANOA   RIVEU. 

cure  of  rheumatism,  gout,  lassitude,  and  all  of  the 
cutaneous  diseases.  The  new  hotel  is  one  of  the  most 
modern  erections  In  this  section  of  the  country,  and  con- 
tains the  latest  improvements.  It  will  be  open  by  the 
1st  of  June. 

42 


ASHEVILLE'S  steady   and   UNIFOltM   GKOWTH. 

In  1860  Asheville  had  a  population  of  1,400 ;  to-day 
the  population  is  put  down  at  5,000.  The  assessed  val- 
uation of  property  in  1860  was  $300,000 ;  in  1885  it  was 
$1,095,292. 

I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  Mr. 
T.  W.  Patton  for  the  following  official  statistics  regard- 
ing Asheville's  progress  from  1880  to  1885.  Here  are 
the  figures  as  taken  from  the  official  record : 

ASSESSED  VALUATION   OF   PBOPEKTY   IN   1880. 

Number  of  acres  of  land  in  the  county 33i,fi33 

Valuation $1,322,294 

Number  of  town  lots    *^^ 

Valuation  of  town  lots $517,281 

Aggregate  value  of  real  and  personal  property $2,748,867 

ASSES.SED   VALUATION   OF   PEOPEHTY   IN   1885. 

Nunaber  of  acres  oJ  land  in  tbe  county 333.633 

Valuation $1,661443 

Number  of  to wn  lots ^'^^ 

Valuation  of  town  lots $1,095,292 

Aggregate  value  of  real  and  personal  property $4,473,217 

These  figures  speak  volumes  for  Asheville's  growth, 
and  point  clearly  to  the  fact  that  within  a  few  more 
years  the  figures  reached  will  double  those  which  illus- 
trate the  present.  This  assertion  is  strengthened  by 
the  fact  that  within  the  past  month  several  large  sales 
have  been  made  to  Northern  capitalists,  who  propose  to 
erect  manufacturing  establishments  within  the  city 
limits.  In  every  avenue  of  business  there  is  an  activity 
which  argues  well  for  the  continued  prosperity  and 
growth  of  this  charming  mountain  town.  "Onward  !  " 
seems  to  be  the  watchword  of  the  people,  and  to  the  dis- 
play of  this  progressive  spirit  are  due  the  prosperity 
and  promise  evidenced  everywhere  around. 

COMMEKCIAIi   ADVANTAGES. 

The  Western  North  Carolina  Railroad,  a  part  of  the 
Richmond  and  Danville  System,  affords  the  readiest  and 

43 


most  interesting  access  to  a  country  whicli  has  been 
well  described  by  Mr.  King  In  his  articles  on  "The  Great 
Soutli  '■  in  Scribner's  Monthly,  and  over  which  the  pen  of 
the  gifted  Miss  Fisher,  of  Salisbury,  N.  C.  has  thrown 
the  glamour  of  romance.  It  is  a  region  which  is  to-day 
largely  frequented  both  by  tourists  and  invalids.  Few 
regions  present  greater  attractions  of  wild  natural 
scenery,  and  none  in  tlie  whole  range  of  the  Alleghanlos 
holds  greater  promise  of  relief  to  Invalids  in  its  fine 
climate,  its  mineral  waters,  and  pleasant  summer  re- 
treats. From  almost  any  point  of  this  railroad,  after  it 
enters  the  mountains,  as  also  from  its  terminus,  deli- 
cious cool  re-sorts  may  be  reached,  where  living  is 
cheap,  the  climate  and  water  delightful,  and  the  scenery 
enchanting. 

This  road  passes  through  the  heart  of  the  State  in  a 
direction  almost  due  west,  traversing  the  counties  of 
Rowan,  Iredell,  Catawba,  Burke  and  McDowell,  to  the 
top  of  Swannanoa  Pass  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  a  distance  of 
more  than  150  miles.  It  is  projected  and  constructed 
to  "Warm  Springs,  in  Madison  county,  near  the  western 
boundary  of  the  State,  where  it  connects  with  the  East 
Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Georgia  Railroad,  and  in  an- 
other direction  toward  Waynesville  and  Webster,  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State,  thus  forming  a  grand 
connection  not  only  with  the  entire  western  part  of 
North  Carolina,  opening  up  one  of  the  finest  regions  of 
the  State,  but  giving  also  another  line  of  trans- 
port to  the  productions  of  the  great  West  to  the  sea- 
board. Since  the  completion  of  the  Spartanburg  and 
Asheville  Railroad,  the  connections  with  Charleston, 
Augusta,  Savannah,  Atlanta  and  all  points  south  and  ' 

southwest  afford  expeditious  travel  from  those  sections.  * 

Said  Mr.  Edward  King   in  his  description  of   "The  ( 

Great  South,"  in  t^oribner's  Monthly,  in  187-1 : 

"  Western  North  Carolina  is  not  only  exceedingly  fer- 

u  ? 


'» 


tile,  but  abounds  in  the  richer  minerals,  and  needs  but 
the  magic  wand  of  the  capitalist  waved  over  it  to  be-  . 
J  come  one  of  the  richest  sections  of  this  Union.    Occu-  j 

t  Pying  one-third  of  the  entire  area  of  the  State,  and  pos- 

)  sessing  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  inhabitants, 

its  present  prospects  are  by  no  means  disagreeable ;  but 
its  prominent  citizens,  of  all  walks  of  life,  are  anxious 
for  immigration  and  development  of  the  rich  stores  of 
gold,  iron,  copper,  mica,  and  other  minerals  now  buried 
in  the  hills.  Let  no  one  fancy  that  this  mountain  re- 
gion is  undesirable  as  an  agricultural  country;  there 
•  are  few  richer  and  better  adapted  to  European  emigra- 
,  tion.    The  staple  productions  are  tobacco,  corn,  wheat,  / 

rye,  oats  and  hay ;  all  vegetables  grow  abundantly,  and  " 
;  the  whole  country  is  admirably  fitted  for  grazing.     The 

i  level  bottom  lands  are  under  fine  cultivation ;  the  up- 

;  lands  and  slopes  produce  rich  wheat ;  the  ash,  the  sugar 

maple,  the  hicliory  and  the  oak  are  abundant ;  and  white 
pine  is  rafted  down  the  Pigeon  river  in  large  quantities 
yearly.     But  the  exceptional  fertility  of  most  of  the 
,  ranges  throughout  all  the  counties  is  the  great  pride  of 

the  section.  The  sides  and  tops  of  the  mountains  are, 
in  many  cases  covered  with  a  thick  vegetable  mold, 
in  which  grow  flourishing  trees  and  rank  grasses.  Five 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level  one  finds  grasses  and 
weeds  that  remind  him  of  the  lower  swamp  regions. 
Cattle  are  kept  in  excellent  condition  all  winter  on  the 
"evergreen"  growing  along  the  sides  of  the  higher 
chains.  Winter  and  summer,  before  the  ravages  of  the 
war  thinned  out  their  stocks,  the  farmers  kept  hundreds 
of  cattle  on  the  mountains,  feeding  entirely  on  grasses. 

RESOUBCES. 

i  The  valleys  of  the  French  Broad  and  Swannanoa  offei 

'  ..  for  all  kinds  of  husbandry  an  Inviting  field,  while  the 

climatic  conditions  are  more  than  favorable.     Agricul- 

I  45 


ture  Is  one  of  the  great  Interests  of  thesection  tributary 
to  Ashevllle,  while  the  forest  growth  Is  a  subject  now 
attracting  the  attention  of  capitalists.  In  the  country 
contiguous  to  the  place  there  are  to  be  found  the  yellow 
pine,  oak  of  almost  every  variety,  black  walnut,  chest- 
nut, locust,  poplar,  black  birch,  cherry,  maple,  syca- 
more, mulberry,  sassafras,  dogwood,  and  other  well- 
known  varieties  of  native  woods. 

Nearly  100  minerals,  simple  and  compound,  are  found 
In  Western  North  Carolina,  many  of  them  being  ex- 
tremely rare  and  of  great  value.  In  the  French  Broad 
valley  gold  exists  in  many  localities,  while  future  ex- 
ploration will  no  doubt  lead  to  other  discoveries.  This 
county  possesses  literally  mountains  of  wealth  In  mica, 
this  section  supplying  nearly  one-half  the  demand 
throughout  the  world. 

The  water  power  is  almost  incomparable.  The  French 
Broad  at  Ashevllle  is  estimated  at  125  horse  power,  and 
at  Warm  Spring.^,  170  horse  power,  which  gives  for  the 
part  of  the  river  from  Ashevllle  to  the  state  line  100,000 
hoi-se  power.  At  Brevard,  In  Transylvania,  the  horse 
power  Is  placed  at  45,  which  adds  10,000  ;  and  the  tribu- 
taries, like  the  Swannanoa,  Ivy,  Laurel,  etc.,  represent 
5,000  each,  so  that  the  French  Broad  may  be  set  down 
at  175, (XX)  horse  power. 

As  a  fruit-growing  section  Ashevllle  enjoys  peculiar 
advantages.  Apples,  peaches,  pears  and  apricots  thrive 
well,  and  find  a  congenial  home  among  th&se  Southern 
mountains.  As  for  apples,  there  Is  probably  no  section 
of  country  where  they  (lourish  so  well  as  Western  North 
Carolina.  The  Centennial  medal  at  Philadelphia 
awarded  for  fine  apples  was  taken  by  a  gentleman  liv- 
ing not  far  from  this  place,  and  In  the  following  year, 
at  the  American  Pomoloplcal  Society's  meeting,  in  the 
city  of  Baltimore,  the  same  individual  was  awarded  the 
Wilder  medal  for  100  varieties  of  the  finest  apples. 

46 


BAILROAD    FACILITIES. 

The  great  Piedmont  Air  Line,  embi*acing  tlie  Rich- 
mond and  Danville  Railroad,  the  Piedmont  Railroad, 
and  the  Atlanta  and  Charlotte  Air  Line,  and  connecting 
Richmond,  Ya..  with  Atlanta,  Ga.,  presents  not  only  one 
of  the  shortest  lines  of  travel  between  the  North  and 


INTEISIOK  OF  ASHEVILLE  CLFB., 

South,  but  oCfers  excellent  accommodations  to  the  trav- 
eling public.  The  new  management,  ably  assisted  by 
Col.  A.  B.  Andrews,  one  of  the  most  progressive  railroad 
men  in  the  South,  have  determined  to  make  this  moun- 
tain road  the  route  par  excellence  in  every  particular, 
equally  as  regards  Importance  of  country  traversed, 
excellence  of  sei-vlee,  and  comfort  and  luxury  of  travel. 
This  railroad  passes  through  four  great  states,  and  along 
a  line  nearly  parallel  with  the  mountains  through  al- 
most the  finest  portions  of  these  states.  The  whole 
region  traversed  Is  emphatically  a  ple<lmont  region — 
a  Hne  undulating  country,  a  country  of  "  hills  and  run- 

47 


nlng  streams,"  watered  by  noble  rivers,  bordered  by  the 
Blue  mountains,  and  at  one  time,  before  the  destruction 
of  values  by  the  war,  the  most  productive  and  prosper- 
ous In  the  South ;  and  one  which  te  destined,  in  the 
not  distant  future,  to  form  the  very  body  and  substance 
of  the  several  states  In  which  It  is  comprised.  Beside  the 
attractions  which  the  main  line  presents,  its  connections 
at  diCferent  points  with  lines  of  railroad  leading  west- 
ward, especially  in  its  connections  in  North  and  South 
Carolina  with  roads  leading  into  the  mountains  of  North 


ESMERALDA'S  TABIN,   JBAI.D   MOINTAIN. 

Carolina,  Georgia,  South  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  have 
laid  open  to  tourists  and  seekers  after  health  and  pleas- 
ure a  region  of  romantic  beauty  hitherto  almost  unvls- 
ited  by  reason  of  Inaccessibility.  The  mountain  region 
of  North  Carolina — appropriately  called  "The  Land  of 
the  Sky  "—Into  the  heart  of  which  one  is  now  comforta- 

48 


K 


bly,  carried  in  the  most  luxurious  of  coaches,  must 
necessarily  sooii  become  a  country  of  great  resort,  as 
well  for  pleasure  as  for  health.  No  part  of  the  Appa- 
lachian range  presents  more  attractive  scenery,  and 
none  such  excellence  of  climate. 

The  Western  North  Carolina  Kailroad,  the  great 
mountain  artery  of  the  Richmond  and  Danville  System, 
has  been  the  life-giving  principle  to  this  region.  It  is 
by  far  the  most  complete  and  thoroughly  equipped 
mountain  railroad  in  this  country,  and  the  most  pic- 
turesque and  pleasant  to  travel  over.  This  road  was 
first  projected  over  thirty  years  ago.  A  charter  was 
granted  in  1854,  the  first  ground  being  broken  the  same 
year  At  the  beginning  of  the  late  war,  Icard  station 
had  been  reached.  After  many  halts  by  the  way,  Mor- 
ganton  was  reached  In  1866,  Old  Fort  in  1871,  Henry's 
iu  1876,  and  Asheville  In  September,  1880.  Now  connec- 
tions are  made  at  Paint  Eock,  the  boundary  line  of  Ten- 
nessee and  North  Carolina,  with  the  East  Tennessee, 
Virginia  and  Georgia  system  of  railroads,  and,  by  the 
completion  of  the  Knoxville  and  Ohio  Kailroad,  Ashe- 
ville is  only  twenty-four  hours  from  Louisville. 

Col.  A.  B.  Andrews,  the  President  of  this  road,  has 
devoted  time  and  energy,  as  well  as  labor,  to  its  work- 
ing system,  and  his  far-seeing  ability  and  foresight  as  a 
railroad  man  have  Insured  great  good,  not  only  to 
this  mountain  country,  which  for  years  was  undeveloped, 
but  to  the  State  at  large.  In  his  work  he  has  been  ably 
assisted  by  Mr.  V.  E.  McBee,  the  Superintendent,  who 
is  ever  studying  the  interest  of  the  great  tra^'eling 
public. 

THE  PEOPLE. 

The  people  in  the  mountains  of  Western  North  Caro- 
lina are  kind,  hospitable  and  generous  to  a  fault.  In 
the  most  humble  cabin,  "away  from  the  sounds  of  trade 
and   traffic.  In  their  little  mountain  homes  4,000   or 

49 


5,000  feet  above  the  ocean's  roar,  one  can  see  the  sim- 
plicity of  rural  life  exhibited  as  nowhere  else  to  be  seen 
on  this  vast  continent.  Here  these  good  people  toil  and 
labor,  live  and  die  amid  Nature's  great  handiworli,  ob- 
livious to  the  great  throbs  and  pulsations  of  a  cosmo- 
politan life.  It  may  well  be  said  they  symbolize  the 
myriads  of  earth's  toiling  masses,  and  as  we  listen  to 
their  passing  footfalls,  we  seem  to  hear 

"  The  still,  sad  music  of  humanity." 


SWANNANOA. 


BV  JACQUES,  OF  CHARLESTON,  S.   C. 

Swannanoa,  nymph  of  beauty, 

I  would  woo  thee  in  my  rhyme ; 
Wildest,  brightest,  loveliest  river. 

Of  our  sunny  Southern  clime  ! 
Swannanoa,  well  they  named  thee,   ■ 

In  the  mellow  Indian  tongue; 
Beautiful  thou  art,  most  truly, 

And.right  worthy  to  be  sung. 

I  have  stood  by  many  a  river 

Known  to  story  and  to  song — 
Ashley,  Hudson,  Susquehanna, 

Fame  to  which^may  well  belong; 
I  have  camped  by  the  Ohio, 

Trod  Scioto's  fertile  banks, 
Followed  far  the  Juniata, 

In  the  wildest  of  her  pranks— 

But  thou  relgnest  queen  forever. 

Child  of   Appalachian  hills, 
Winning  tribute  as  thou  nowest. 

From  a  thousand  mountain  rills. 
Thine  is  beauty,  strength-begotten. 

Mid  the  cloud-begirded  peaks, 
Where  the  patriarch  of  the  mounialns, 

Heavenward  far  thy  waters  seeks. 
31 


Tlinmgh  the  laurols  jiikI  tlic  booohcs 

Bright  thy  silvery  current  shlin-s, 
8lQei>lng  now  In  granitic  bnulns, 

Overhung  by  trailing  vines, 
Ami  anon  caroorlng  onwanl, 

In  the  mailrlost  frolic  mood, 
Waking,  with  Its  sea-liko  voices, 

Fairy  echoes  In  the  wood. 

Peaceful  sleep  thy  narrow  valleyn 

In  the  shadow  of  the  hlllH; 
And  thy  flower-enami'lcd  border 

All  the  air  with  fragrance  fills; 
Wild  luxuriance,  gou(>rou8  tillage. 

Here  alternate  nicot  the  view; 
Every  turn,  through  all  thy  windings, 

Still  revealing  something  new. 

Where,  O  graceful  Hwannanoa, 

Are  the  warrior**  who  of  old 
Sought  thee  at  thy  mountain  sources. 

Where  thy  springs  arc  Icy  cold,— 
Where  the  dark-browed  Indian  maidens, 

Who  their  limbs  were  wont  to  lave 
(Worthy  bath  for  fairer  beauty). 

In  thy  cool  and  limpid  wave? 

Gone  forever  from  thy  borders. 

But  Immortal  In  thy  name 
Are  the  red  men  of  the  forest! 

Be  thou  keeper  of  their  fame! 
Paler  races  dwell  beside  thee; 

Celt  and  Saxon  till  thy  lands. 
Wedding  use  unto  thy  beauty,— 

Linking  over  theo  their  hands. 


"RACING    WATER." 


BY   M\RY    BAYARD  CLARKE. 

'  Racing  water  "  who  can  paint  thee  ! 
With  thy  scenery  wlM  and  grand. 
It  would  take  a  magic  pencil 
Guided  by  a  master  hand. 
52 


Here  are  towering,  rugged  moiiutaius, 
Grauite  rocks  all  scarred  and  gray. 

Nature's  altars  whence  her  incense 
Floats  in  -vvroaths  of  mist  away. 

At  their  feet  thy  murmuring  waters 
Now  are  singing  songs  of  praise, 

Or  in  sonorous  notes  triumphant 
A  majestic  ptean  raise. 

Down  the  canon's  rocky  gorges 
Now  they  wildly,  madly  sweep. 

Or  witli  laughing  shout  exultant 
O'er  the  rocky  barriers  leap. 

Then  in  calm  and  lirai>id  beauty 
Still  and  deep  they  silent  flow, 

Witli  the  verdant  bank  o'erhanging 
Pictured  in  the  depths  below. 

Tah-kee-os-kee,  "  racing  water," 
Was  thy  sonorous  Indian  name. 

But  as  "  French  Broad  "  thou  art  written 
On  the  white  man's  roll  of  fame. 

Perish  that,  and  live  the  other. 

For  on  everj'  dancing  wave 
Evermore  is  shown  the  beauty 

Of  the  name  the  red  man  gave. 


MOUNTAIN     BREEZES. 

Nowhere  in  the  State  will  the  tourist  and  the  Invalid, 
as  well  as  the  pleasiu'e  seeker,  find  such  excellent  hotel 
accommodations  as  are  to  be  found  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Western  North  Carolina. 

A  word  to  those  suffering  with  rheumatism,  gout  or 
any  of  the  cutaneous  diseases  :  Come  to  the  celebrated 
Warm  Springs  in  Western  North  Carolina,  whei'e  you 
will  find  the  "  Fountain  of  Youth,"  and  liot  baths  unsur- 
passed on  this  continent.  Beside  these  advantages,  a 
magnificent  new  hotel,  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments, is  one  of  the  speeial^attractions  of  this  widely- 
famed  resort. 

63 


L 


Col.  E.  B.  Thomas,  General  ManagBr  t>f  the  Richmond 
and  Danville  Railroad  Syst-era,  and  Col.  A.  B.  Andrews, 
President  of  the  Western  North  Carolina  Railroad,  are 
repro-sentative,  wide-awakt^  railroad  men.  They  an* 
doing  all  thej'  can  to  develop  this  section  of  the  State, 
Viy  giving  our  people  the  very  best  pos.sible  railway  n<'- 
commodatlons.  The  steel  rail  over  mountains  and 
tlirough  gorges  In  this  section  has  been  truly  a  (^iod- 
send  to  our  people,  and  It  is  keenly  appreclate<l  by  them. 

Don't  forget  to  call  on  Mrs.  Stockton  if  you  go  to 
Waynesville.  Her  table  will  gratify  the  most  fastidious, 
and  she  is  indeed  one  of  the  few  women  in  the  land  who 
know  just  exactly  huw  to  please. 

The  mountainous  region  of  North  Carolina  embraces 
an  area  of  5,400  square  miles,  of  an  average  elevation 
of  2,000  feet. 

The  new  Waynesville  Hotel  will  be  a  popular  place  of 
resort,  this  summer,  under  the  capable  management  of 
host  Timberlake.  The  hotel  groimd.'*  are  tempting 
Arca<Uan  nooks  of  repose. 

«  The  Indians,  while  roaming  the  forest  of  North  Caro- 
lina, used  to  keep  the  remains  of  their  ancestors,  es- 
pecially their  chiefs,  in  a  hut  called  a  "  Quiogozog." 

Don't  forgot  to  have  "Snowball,''  "Shaklefoot"  and 
"  Bonos"  dance  for  you  before  you  leave  Asheville. 

Ebtabrook's,  on  Main  street,  Asheville.  deserves  to 
be  called  the  tourists  headquarters,  since  while  It  is 
one  of  the  pleasantest  of  places  to  visit,  it  supplies  in 
great  variety  the  articles  which  persons  are  the  most 
likely  to  feel  the  need  of  when  on  an  outing.  Here  will 
be  found  artists'  materials,  books,  fine  stationery.  s<im  - 
mer  reading,  fancy  goods,  Florida  and  Western  North 
Carolina  novelties.  Helper's  Illustrated  Guide  Book,  the 
best  thing  out,  always  on  hand.  Lessons  given  in 
drawing,  and  oil  and  water  color  painting,  at  studio  over 
store. 


It  has  boen  generally  remarked  by  the  traveling  pub- 
lic that  the  conductors  on  the  Western  North  Oarolina 
Eailioad  cannot  be  surpassed  for  politeness,  affabilty  of 
manner  or  regard  for  the  comfort  of  their,  passengers. 
Capt.  Thomas  Murphy  and  Capt.  P.  A.  Newland  are 
noted  for  their  caution,  care,  and  indefatigable  activity. 
They  are  both  deservedly  popular. 

Excursion  parties,  picnic  crowds  and  flower  rumina- 
tors  are  all  the  rage  dvdring  the  :^ummer.  One  day  last 
year  while  a  coui)le  were  out  gathering  the  beautiful 
rhododendrons  at  a  picnic,  a  certain  gentleman  from 
South  Carolina  found  a  gold  vein;  afterward  he  secured 
a  gold  mme. 

The  proper  caper  you  know  is  this,  provided  you  are 
thirsty.  " Oukwockaninniwock" — "let's  take  a  drink" 
for  it's  "quite  Indiaayou  know,  quite  Indian  you  know." 
It's  an  ill  omen  to  present  your  best  girl  with  a  bunch 
of  rhododendrons  before  breakfast.  Ask  Charley  Rawls 
of  the  "  Bwannanoa,"  the  why  and  wherefore. 

Romantic  star-gazing  couples  should  not  fail  to  visit 
the  old  Indian  seat  near  tht  city,  referred  to  in  the 
Pamphlet.  They  will  do  well  to  remember,  however, 
should  they  go  there,  that:  '■  Les  murailles  ont  des 
oreilles." 

Families  and  invalids  desiring  a  pleasant  home-like 
place,  will  do  well  to  bear  in  mind  the  delightful  home 
of  Mountain  Cottage.  Mr.  H.  C.  Hunt,  proprietor. 

Visitors  fond  of  the  aesthetic  should  not  fail  to  take  a 
])eep  into  the  Mikado  room,  over  Lyon's  drug  store. 
Mr.  Roger  Davis,  the  artist,  has  on  exhibition  some 
very  fine  and  effective  sketches  of  inviting  nooks  among 
the  mountains  of  Western  North  Carolina. 

Battery  Porter,  as  during  the  war,  .still  holds  its  rep- 
utation as  a  stronghold  not  easily  captured.  Many 
a  gallant  "  colonel "  in  private  life  meets  his  fate  from 
fair  hands  on  the  scenes  of  former  struggles. 


AN  ASHEVILT^K  INTEBIOB. 


;keye  klasp-sh  x  iiK 

DLTON  ENVELOPE  DIVISION 
:RUY. CLARK  CORPORATION 
CARROUUTON,  OHIO  MO.  87 


